Hugely Hectic Hallowe’en Round-Up

Halloween continues to be a marathon around these parts. Here’s a round up of photos from the various candy scavenging escapades of the last week.

It all started at our church’s Trunk or Treat with a Honey of a Bee showing her sunflower some love..


Napoleon showed off some freaking SWEEEEEEET dance moves

As did the sweet cereal killer

Finny’s costume was a major hit with the teens. I wonder why? (That’s his, “this is so embarrassing” smile in case you were wondering)

Lots of dancing fun was had by all

This is my sweet friend McKenzie she is due in a few weeks. Her cute stomach is the exact size and shape of a soccer ball and she can keep up with me when we go jogging. Isn’t that nice for her and depressing for me?

Shiny happy girlies

Ella and her friend Brady. She has discovered that Smarties are an excellent teething toy. (Don’t worry, we watch closely).

The next day it was time to take to the mean streets of our little town for Downtown trick or treating. I love our Downtown. It is so cute.


I love that you always see someone you know. Here’s our dear friend Carolyn with Caroline .  We tried to trade Finny in for the latest iPhone at the cell phone store, to no avail. They did take a photo of him though.

A solemn little sunflower  about to drop off to sleep.



She is our sunshine..

On Hallowe’en Eve we carved pumpkins and made caramel apples with my marvelous new 6 minute caramel recipe (found on pinterest if you follow me there).

And then it was time for the Annual Impatiens Stalk Stomping. They had been dealt a final fatal frost blow the night before and it was time.

Replaced by a Jack O’Lantern patch

Benj, Gracie and Finny’s pumpkins, followed by an E for Ella (designed by Gracie) and Aaron’s awesome pumpkin and my polkadots. Gabe made a baby he calls “little P.Nut”. I wonder why it was not little P.Kin.
 
And finally it was Hallowe’en Proper.   Ella and I visited the kids at school. Finny wasn’t keen on being photographed but Ella is an old and popular prop in Gracie’s classroom.

Trick or Treating Gang 2011

A closer look at the Dynamic Duo.  Note that Finny’s iPhone had been refurbished-into a fabric model, to allow greater maneuverability on the fiercely competitive trick or treat trail

And they’re off!


No sooner were we on our way but our poor baby who had been awake since 1:30pm after an abbreviated morning nap crashed..hard.

Since we were relying on her for the mommy and daddy candy stash (and even bought her a very cute bucket toward that end), we felt that it would not do. And so I began carrying her and shamelessly begging for candy on her 7 month old behalf as she snoozed on my shoulder.

Nathan would yell, “it’s not for the baby, don’t give her any!” at each door I went to. So guess what? He got the job. At which point Ella awoke. I love her expression.

When Nathan’s arm gave out, Aaron’s shift began.  He held the baby, Nathan held the bucket. I pushed the empty stroller in the background. It was a very Modern Family looking scene. And Ella worked it. She was a delight to old…

and young alike.

She even helped herself to a piece

Eventually we went home and inspected our haul. I have just noticed that her poor little lips are blue! She never complained. Just started growling a little bit toward the end but we assumed that was her attempt at being appropriately Hallowe’eny.  Here’s Nathan gloating over their haul

Another Modern Family Portrait

And then came the magic…. all this…crunchy, crinkly stuff…..for me?

WHOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!  She was thusly entertained for about an hour. And again today.

The boys inspecting and dividing their loot

And then there was some getting down and partying..


Then we went to see some more friends. By this point Ella had still not slept since 1:30 (apart from about 5 mins before she was jostled awake). She had been exploited and frozen and it was about 9:30pm but she was still going strong. See?

She really is the most wonderful baby.
She waved “bye-bye” to her scratchy costume (her new trick as of yesterday)

And she got DOWN…

Here she is stealing a car from her friend. He does not look pleased. I think the whole Trick or Treat affair emboldened her and left her feeling entitled.

Here are the girls post loot-sorting

It was pretty much the perfect Halloween. Such a happy, happy, fun sweet night.
Which brings me to my 3rd annual November Gratitude List stolen from my dear friend Julie. Five things I am grateful for today.
1. The fact that my kids were all healthy enough to run around Trick or Treating last night.
2. That we live in such an idyllic little town where I feel comfortable letting them run around and where I can say, “I love your house” and be invited in for an impromptu tour (and leave alive).
3. That we have fun, good friends to share Halloween and other occasions with.
4. Nobody’s costume broke, nobody fell, nobody puked, nobody whined or melted down and we were left with only happy memories.
5. One year ago today, we made this marvelous discovery. It gets more fun every day! I am so, so, so  grateful that my girls have a sister. I love my sisters so much and can’t imagine life without them.

PS: Have another hour to kill? Did you see our Apple picking photos yet? I heart them.
Click here to see the ghosts of Halloween’s past: 2008, 2009, and 2010

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